MANY of those running in today’s Darley July Cup will have one eye in trying to follow up in the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock Park in September.

But one horse who won’t be running this afternoon has her sights firmly on the Group One feature on September 3.

Brian Meehan’s Lady Of The Desert has had a disrupted campaign due to injury but she was among the 52 entries for the Sprint Cup revealed earlier this week she is making good progress in her bid to line up on Merseyside, most likely partnered by Scouse jockey Martin Dwyer.

The four-year-old will be bidding to go one better this time having finishing in last year’s Sprint Cup and also the Prix de l’Abbaye.

She also won the Group Two Diadem Stakes at Ascot but has not seen a racecourse so far this season.

But Bruce Raymond, racing manager for owner Jaber Abdullah, said: “She got a little bit of a splint problem but it doesn’t seem to be as much of a problem as we thought it could be.

“She wasn’t lame, just a bit sore and when she went for a scan, this splint just showed up.

“It’s out now, though, and when she returns will just depend on how much time she misses. The Sprint Cup has been mentioned as a target and there’s races like the Abbaye to consider later in the year.”